Shaman King: The Dark Spirit
by Deltoran Merchant
Summary: A tremor shakes the spirit world as a great darkness from ancient times attempts its return. A mysterious organization is at work and their efforts could destroy the world. The Oyamada Co. is also up to something that will make Manta do something drastic.
1. Prologue

**Shaman King:**

**The Dark Spirit**

**Prologue**

_13 095 B.C.E, Mu_

On the island of Mu a great battle was taking place. The greatest civilization of the Pacific against a great monster whose powers of darkness were nigh unfathomable. Legions of the Emperor's Grand Army had been struck down, and then the samurai fell, followed by sorcerers and magicians and monks. All falling to the immense power of this creature of darkness who had once been a sorcerer himself, but had since discarded that life for one of much greater power and glory.

Then came the shamans and even they fell. The Shaman King himself tried and failed to destroy the monster. It seemed to have a form for each group that had attempted to destroy it. However the Shaman King was not yet defeated and he rallied the remaining monks, magicians and sorcerers, and shamans of course, and tried a new tactic. They opened a portal, a gateway to the ether beyond. Combining their powers they forced the Dark Beast into the portal and closed it.

Mu was not spared however and the immense magic used to open and close the portal proved to be its destruction. The land cracked and the ocean floor opened up. Few escaped and by dawn the island of Mu was gone. The Shaman King escaped to an archipelago of islands where he spent the rest of his days working in secret. Finally he passed away and the way of the Shaman might have been forgotten had he not carved the knowledge on a cave wall nearby.

_December16, 1707, Mt. Fuji_

People trembled all around as the mountain in the distance exploded with fury. Clouds of ash rose from the summit and into the air. Like a great storm cloud it approached and Ryo looked up as ash began to fall like rain. It looked like the end of the world, maybe it was. All around buildings and streets were being covered in the substance. The only logical direction to take was simply to take cover, and Ryo did just that.

Ryo felt strange though. At fifteen he wasn't anything special, or that's how it would seem to viewers. He never knew how, but he was always able to see things nobody else could. Perhaps it was a sign of insanity, but he doubted it for what he saw was only in certain places. Ghosts actually, ghosts and spirits were what he saw and knew several quite well. Something else was wrong too. He wasn't sure what, but somewhere up by the Mt. Fuji, something bad had happened. With that thought he had to focus on survival instead.

_August 6, 1945, Hiroshima_

Yohmei sat in a park sadly. What was his nation doing? Joining with such an evil man and now trying to finish his job in conquering the globe. These were the thoughts that went through his mind as he sat there early in the morning. As an onmyoji he was in contact with the spirit world and his mind could see into the future a short way.

In the middle of his thoughts a vision struck into his mind and he gulped with fear. A great explosion, the greatest ever created by man. An airplane would deliver it, an American one. The explosion would decimate the entire city of Hiroshima in a near instant. A couple days later another would be dropped on Nagasaki.

Yohmei's vision ended as he sensed it was coming to fruition very shortly indeed. He'd never get out of the city in time and thus he must call upon his magic to help. He chanted a plea for help to the spirit world. He wished he could protect all the other innocents who would be harmed as well, but that was not within his power. The plea just finished he looked up to the sky as an explosion echoed. A deafening sound followed by such a tremendous force that Yohmei, thousands of feet below and several miles away was blown off his feet. A great mushroom-shaped cloud rose over the city and tore through it as the temperature rose and the force kept going. Yohmei was in the air now and he saw nothing but flame and smoke before his vision went black.

---

Expecting death, Yohmei was shocked when he awoke to see a city in ruins all around. He'd been protected it seemed, for there were a few skeletons around him that had been people. A strange energy rose from the ground all around him, but stranger was a sensation of wrong in the world. It came from far above and Yohmei could hardly describe it, but knew it was wrong.


	2. Chapter 1

_Note: Though following the anime version of Shaman King, I use a slightly edited version of the manga's time passage. Only one year has passed instead. Yoh was 14 and now is 15._

**Chapter 1**

"What'cha readin' Morty?" Yoh asked, strolling up behind his small friend. They were at a park to just relax for a change; Yoh is his customary green jeans and unbuttoned shirt while Morty was in the same only his shirt was buttoned up. Yoh however was doing far more relaxing than Morty, who seemed like he was studying.

"Oh hey Yoh, I found this book on the legendary island of Mu and thought I'd give it a read."

"Mu?"

"Well technically it's described as a continent, but the author of this book thinks that if it was real, it could've been an island."

"What is it though?" Yoh asked, sitting on the seat opposite Morty at the picnic table he was at.

"Well you know Atlantis? Well Mu's kind of like the Pacific version of it. Thousands of years ago it was a powerful nation with samurai and sorcerers and an emperor, and also shamans."

"Really?"

"The first Shaman King, according to legend, is from Mu. Then one day it had gone, the entire island just vanished into the sea. The Shaman King was last said to have been in the Philippines, and that's where his tomb was found and the secrets of the shaman passed onto various families."

"When do the Asakura's come into the picture?" Yoh asked his interest piqued.

"No idea," Morty replied. "It's just a story anyways, there's no evidence to suggest Mu ever existed and the Shaman King stories are so old that they could mean anything."

Yoh was silent for a time and Morty had to wonder what wheels were ticking behind his laidback expression. His friend could be thinking about his next meal or a good time for a nap, but Morty was pretty sure that his story had sunk in through the mop of brown hair and past the headphones. When Yoh finally spoke the topic was completely different, as Morty half-expected. "There's a rock concert tonight, wanna go?"

"You know it!" Morty said, closing his book. "What about you Mosuke?"

"Have a choice?" came a somewhat gruff, but kind voice. There appeared a man in a dark-grey tunic and black hair. He was somewhat transparent and this, together with his abrupt appearance, was enough to define him as a ghost. "I find this modern music most disturbing and loud."

"Stay at home then. Is Amidamaru going to join us?"

A silver haired man in samurai armour appeared behind Yoh and shook his head. "No, I agree with my old friend I'm afraid. Not everything of this time is for me."

"Just you and me then Morty," Yoh said with a customary cocky grin. "A night as normal kids."

Morty smiled, but couldn't help feeling a sense of dread. He wasn't sure why, but it was there. He'd never been a normal kid, for one he could see ghosts and for two he had inherited minutian blood and hence his rather non-human appearance. However it seemed much worse than that and silently he knew Mosuke felt the same.

----

Morty sat on his bed at home and was oddly silent. That was something that only happened when he was reading a book. The fact he was staying still was also odd and was again only done when he read or was doing homework. Today though he felt down and upset, like something was wrong. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Being a shaman, and having watched his friend enough to easily catch up on techniques, he was in touch with nature. So he wondered if it was something in nature that was trying to tell him something.

His meditation had only barely started when he felt like his mind had been pierced by a spear. A mix of images soared through his head; a man in black leather robes, the sea floor, the air and clouds, a strange glowing blue spark of some kind. _Is that Mt. Fuji? _He thought as the image of a mountain rushed through his mind. Finally the images ended at a great shadowed form with a gaping maw and glowing eyes of crimson. Then a voice sounded the most terrible voice he'd ever heard. "I see you young shaman, this will be your doom. The hour comes for my return to the world and one of you three shall be the key…"

Mortimer opened his eyes abruptly and terror was making his heart race. He was sure it would break if it kept going at the pace it was. The voice echoed in his mind and he couldn't rid himself of the terror it left. His bedroom door opened and he almost jumped. It was Yoh and his smile quickly changed to a look of concern when he saw his friend.

"Your mom let me in. You okay there Morty?"

Morty gulped down the terror that still threatened to take him over. Mosuke was kind enough to answer in his stead. "We are not alright. We just had what would be termed a vision."

"Vision? What of?"

Morty finally spoke properly though he couldn't keep his voice from shaking. "The darkness. I remember a strange man and Mt. Fuji and…" he trailed off into silence.

Yoh sat on the bed next to his friend and inclined his head in curiosity. He'd honestly never seen his friend in such honest fear. Morty was positively shaking and seemed lacking in words. Usually when Morty was afraid he couldn't stop talking, but this time he really seemed spooked.

"A being lurking in the dark and he said something," Morty said and related the message the voice had said. "Like a prophecy almost."

"One of you three?" Yoh repeated distantly. "What three?"

"I dunno, just you three."

"You sure it was a vision? Maybe you just fell asleep and had a bad dream," Yoh suggested innocently. The look on his friend's face in response was so stern that Yoh was forced to apologize.

"I couldn't dream up something that terrifying Yoh. Anyways I was trying to meditate and it just kind of struck; like emptying my mind made way for this thing to jump in."

Yoh grinned, "I know! We'll go see grandpa tomorrow, bet he'll work it out!"

"Yeah okay, that's cool."

"So, we goin' to that concert or just gonna sit around here all night?"

Morty hopped up and let a smile come back to his face. "Alright let's go!" With that they were off, and Morty had soon let the incident drift to the back of his mind.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

On the other side of the world, another shaman was facing much worse. He was a boy named Zack, American and with a guardian ghost named Fire Soldier, a magician who'd been training in the Great Depression and fought in World War II. And he was facing a nightmare in human form.

Sitting on a throne of stone and steel that hovered on a small dais inches from the ground sat what could only be described as a corpse. A man of such age that he barely seemed human and it was only the discreet rise and fall of his chest that told he was really alive. His wrinkled skin clung to an emaciated frame and a portion of his face had gone, leaving bare flesh and a clearly revealed eyeball. Over the other eye was a monocle and a jewel in his forehead formed a sort of third eye. He had wild white hair that was untamed and looked like a flame, though he was also largely bald. His wrinkled, claw-like hands rested on the throne above skull insignia while around his head orbited four orbs that could only be made of magic. "Oh I do love shaman," he murmured as Zack panted heavily. The boy's blond hair was dripping with sweat and the spirit control he held in a fire poker was wearing down.

"I still have plenty of furyoku to deal with an old man like you."

"Furyoku," the corpse murmured disdainfully. "This is what entertains me with shamans; they put so much stock in their spirits and precious furyoku. However when they run out they're nothing but useless.

"I, on the other hand, am not a shaman. I am a sorcerer, a far superior order of magic for we rely on the very nether itself and can draw from it indefinitely." He raised a long finger and a spout of flame poured forth from it and into the young shaman. "And like all shaman, you fail to conserve what little power you have. A sorcerer could have easily destroyed my little squadron there and been plenty ready for the following fight. No matter how trained a shaman, they cannot last too long."

"That was an army!" Zack shouted. "An army of undead that put Faust to shame!"

"I appreciate the compliment little boy, but I think playtime is over. I come to ask you a question and I've been distracted." He looked around the graveyard in which they were in. Of course it was the perfect place to find a shaman, but it was still to be seen if Zack was the shaman he was looking for. The boy had begun an attack, but was stopped before he could even name it. Glowing blue energy wrapped around his arms and wrists and held him in mid-air. His fire poker dropped to the ground. The throne moved forwards several feet and the man smiled a wicked smile from it.

"What do you want?"

"You were in the Shaman Tournament last year correct?" the sorcerer asked.

"I was, what does that matter?"

"Then perhaps you heard of a shaman named Hao Asakura."

"Yes, and he got his ass kicked by his own relative."

"I'm aware of that. I know where to find Yoh and his little friend. What I'm inquiring into is if you know the location of the young Hao."

"Why would I know?"

"I have been told that you were in his order for a time, correct? Oh and lie to me and you'll be electrocuted with 10, 000 volts of electricity."

"Yes I was," Zack said, fear starting to clutch at his stomach. He'd much rather be facing Hao than this guy. At least Hao wasn't repulsive to look at on top of being powerful and terrifying."

"Then tell me, did he have any contingencies? Any place he would flee to in a worst case scenario?"

"No, he never mentioned such a thing!" Electricity didn't course and so the sorcerer knew he'd been told the truth.

"Thank you for your cooperation." A blast of electricity arced from his index finger and into the boy. He screamed as his body burned and dissolved into ash. He turned his throne and it carried him from the graveyard and to his next victim. "Do not think your power keeps you safe Hao Asakura. You are still a mere shaman and Saientin will fulfill your purpose."

---

"Awesome!" Yoh cried as he and Morty left the park from the concert held at its outdoor stage. "You know I think I should start reconsidering my childhood dream Morty."

"What? Being a rockstar?"

"Yeah that one."

Morty had an image of Yoh on stage with a guitar and couldn't help but laugh. "Maybe, it suits you."

"You think?" Yoh struck a rocker pose with an air guitar which got another laugh out of Morty who saw his own mental image suddenly played out in front of him. As they reached the edge of the park and began to walk to the bus stop the crowd seemed to have thinned out immensely; in fact the bus stop was completely empty. Neither boy said anything aloud, but they noted the change with apprehension. In Tokyo it was impossible for there to be no crowd at all, no matter the time of day. It wasn't even that late at night yet, so there apprehension was justified.

Then a man in a black trenchcoat appeared at the entrance of the bus stop. He seemed friendly enough, but there was something wrong with him that couldn't be described. He had combed black hair and dark eyes that seemed to make him look professional and yet almost fake. "Shaman Mortimer and of course most revered Shaman Yoh, what a pleasure it is to meet you," he said with a bow.

"The X-Laws haven't reformed have they?" Yoh quipped, looking at the outfit that bore some similarity to the ones worn by the false beings of light.

"No they have not. Come with me please my son is a young shaman and most… thrilled at the thought of your acquaintance." The man bowed his head sadly and a little nervously. "I'm sorry to be so abrupt young sirs, but you have no idea what it is to be a parent with a child who you can't understand. I believe him of course, he is my boy, but I cannot-"

"Say no more, sir. If it's a full fledged shaman you want then it's a full fledged shaman you get. Plus one intermediate ranked one," Yoh added, gesturing to Morty.

"Thank you Mr. Asakura. I am Akio Uzama."

"No need for the 'mister', I'm just Yoh."

"As you wish, and are you just Morty?"

"Yup," Mortimer replied. "So will we get going?"

"Of course, please follow me."

---

The thick darkness of the being sat by itself, watching with its mind the progress of its massive game and it calculated further plans. "Things seem to move fast, but they have barely begun. The fruition of the cult's labours is yet to come and the Spirit King is not yet aware of my movements. No shaman could possibly be so, for they are the weak ones.

"Two of the keys are in our grasp, but the Unwilling Worshipper has yet to make his appearance in my game. Fear not my servants; for the evil of mortals is not yet to play his part, and I wonder how long his part will last."


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Why hello Tom, how's things today?" said a young man with silver hair as he strolled into a british pub.

"As you can see, slow. You want something to drink David?"

"Yes please Tom the usual," David said, sitting down at a table nearby. True enough the pub was empty and it was Friday night, it should be packed. Tom placed a glass of some murky alcoholic beverage in front of David.

"Mind if I sit with you?"

"Not at all."

Tom sat and let out a huge sigh. "This place has just fallen into disrepair. You're my only customer now you know. I miss the Diethels they used to attract so much business."

"Oh Diethels I heard of them, great detectives and all am I right?"

"Yes and they brought their colleagues and such here and I was basking in wealth. Now though I can barely afford this place."

David sighed sadly as he drank in the ensuing silence. He wished he could stay longer, but he had things to do soon. Then an idea struck him, "I might be able to attract some business for you. Can you just tell me if you know anything about that kid of Diethels, um, Lyserg I believe it is."

"Oh little Lyserg! After his parents died he came in here a lot, I got to know him quite well. Told me his stories of ghosts and stuff, most imaginative little boy he was; and often talking to himself which I found kinda strange, but nothing too weird really. He'd lost his parents after all and didn't have many friends so he must've been pretty lonely. Then one day he told me he was heading off to America and I haven't seen him since."

"I see. Very well here," David said, finishing his drink and placing several business cards on the table. "They hire for cheap and they should help you bring in some business. I must be going now." He paid and was on his way. Once outside the pub he strolled a distance until he'd reached a lonely little alley where he pulled out a mirror from a coat pocket. In his hands it glowed a little for a couple seconds and when David gazed into it he saw the corpse-like face of Saientin. "Master I think I am on the trail of this Lyserg boy. I only hope he is still alive for I know no other dowsers as talented as a Diethel."

"You are correct Magician David and I hope for your sake that this plan works. We must find the Hao child."

"I pray to the darkness that we do."

---

As Yoh and Morty walked they noticed there continued to be a lack of people, though a few did walk by. Still it was unusually quiet for a city and Akio seemed not to notice. He walked ahead of them while Yoh and Morty hung back a bit to talk.

"I don't like this Morty," Yoh said.

"I got my laptop right here Yoh," Morty said patting his green backpack.

"So?"

"Mosuke tagged along in it. Come on; don't tell me you didn't bring Amidamaru with you in the little black tombstone."

Yoh grinned, "You bet!" he said golding up the little wooden tombstone he'd created in shop class a year ago, "Got the spirit sword too, the hilt anyways."

"Hilt?"

"Scabbard's too big."

They continued walking until Akio stopped in front of a slightly rundown apartment building. He led them up a couple flights of stairs and to the door of an apartment that looked in dreadful need of a restoration. The main room had a couch so decrepit that it seemed like mold would grow on it at any second. Springs were poking through many holes and stuffing littered the ground around it. There seemed little other furnishing there that was in better state. Yoh and Morty stepped into the room and whirled around to see a boy of about ten slam the door shut. "Why thank you father, the Master will be most pleased with us."

"Amidamaru, into the spirit sword!" Yoh cried as a sword appeared from the hilt and glowed brightly while samurai-type armour appeared over Yoh's arm.

"Mosuke, into the laptop!" Morty cried and held the laptop out at which point it changed into a red and yellow cross between a smith's hammer and a mallet.

"Oh so the short one _is_ a shaman," said Akio. "And Yoh, I was expecting to face your full power, not just this."

"Yes father, though does it make much difference? Shaman are merely shaman and they are inferior," the boy said.

"Too true Riku and to think that the plan with Hao would have let the weak rule. Now then shaman, would you care to accompany us quietly?"

The boy, Riku, held up a hand to show a ring with a lightning-blue gem set in it, "Or do you want to do this the hard way? It matters not, but shamans have no hope of defeating sorcerers or magicians."

"How about no way?" Morty asked.

"Not an option."

"Then hard way," Yoh answered.

Riku pointed his index finger at the two and fired a spout of electricity. Meanwhile his father placed his hand on the wooden floorboards. Morty gasped as the electricity grazed his arm and Yoh cried out in surprise as the wood beneath him suddenly became sharp spears. He jumped away just before they would have impaled him. Both responded with attacks of their own that were dodged by their opponents.

"Tell me Yoh, who won the tournament? Was it not you?" Akio asked knowingly.

"Yeah, what's your point?"

"I'd like to know how you managed." Akio hurled a spring at Yoh which reshaped in flight into a dangerous spear of steel. It scraped past Yoh's leg as he moved and tore denim and skin. "Agile little things aren't you, I guess shaman have to be good at something. Makes sense that it's only running they're good at."

"Celestial slash!" Yoh yelled and a crescent of crimson energy came from his sword as he slashed it through the air. The crescent struck the magician square in the chest only to do nothing but slide him backwards a couple inches. "How did you-!?"

"Magician never reveals his secrets," Akio quipped and grabbed a kitchen knife that within seconds became a katana. He rushed forwards and was soon in a sword fight with Yoh.

Morty meanwhile fared no better with Riku. The younger, though taller, boy launched volleys of lightning that became increasingly hard to dodge. The shaman's attacks meanwhile were deflected with what seemed to be a shield of electricity and more than once he was nearly fried. Being considerably less trained than Yoh made Morty's difficulties that much greater. "Forge strike!" Morty cried and flames engulfed his weapon as he brought it smashing down towards Riku. To his shock he actually struck the young sorcerer who crashed through the fragile floor and to the floor below.

"Lucky shot!" cried Riku as he leapt back up through the hole and onto the floor again, "I am still a novice and as such it's only to be expected that a lucky shot will be achieved on occasion."

So the fight carried on and soon Morty and Yoh found themselves back to back and also beginning to weaken. "Think it's double medium time?" Yoh whispered to Morty.

"At this point, probably would be our best shot."

"Okay then, Amidamaru into the antiquity!" Yoh cried and fused his sword with a smaller weapon that looked had a kunai shape but dagger length. Once fused a giant glowing sword appeared with red hilt in samurai armour style. It almost instantly shrank to the size of a normal sword. "Double Halo Blade!" Yoh cried striking both directions with incredible speed and precision. The clothes of both magician and sorcerer were torn and angry red wounds were across their chests.

Taking the moment that they were both stunned Morty followed up with an attack of his own, "Smith's hammer!" he cried and hurled the hammer like a boomerang at Riku who was struck in the chest and knocked through the wall. The hammer returned to Morty, but he ducked instead of watching it and it struck Akio as well sending him out into the air and falling to the street below. This time Morty caught the hammer and it turned back into a laptop as he released spirit control.

"Good job Morty," Yoh panted and released spirit control as well. "I hope they're gone 'cause my furyoku's running towards low."

Morty picked himself up and looked out the window and saw that Akio had vanished "No Akio and it looks like that kid is gone too," he added looking at the hole in the wall where the boy had gone through. He looked at his burnt sleeve and the scorched skin underneath. It was not a terrible pain, but it still hurt badly enough. Yoh felt the same about the slices he'd received from his opponent.

"You know Anna is going to kill me when I get home," Yoh whined.

"I'm coming with you; I can't let my parents see me hurt like this. They were already getting upset with me talking about seeing ghosts. Besides this is something completely new, magicians and sorcerers and I think Anna would like to hear the story as well as beat you to a pulp." Yoh gave a childish cry again at this last remark and Morty couldn't help but laugh.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"A magician and a sorcerer?" Anna asked contemplatively as she finished treating the wounds of her friends, or possibly minions, Morty wasn't sure. The yelling stage had already passed and Morty found himself suddenly joining Yoh in Anna's fitness regiment, which involved jogging five miles three times with 10 pound weights on each arm; and that was the easy stage. Morty's diminutive size didn't get him off either for his strength was roughly equal to a normal human's. He'd also gotten told "I don't care if one of your ancestors was the minutian king, you're not going to magically get stronger." Now however Anna had reached her stage of thought and inquiry.

"That's what they said and I couldn't see any spirits with them. What about you Morty?"

Morty hadn't really been looking, but his spirit perception skills did seem stronger as he was able to see spirits well before his shaman abilities became unlocked. Still he answered negatively as he had not seen anything other than blasts of lightning and shards of wood and metal.

"I've never heard of anything like that. It's funny though, Yohmei called earlier and said he had something important to tell you two and that he felt Morty wanted to talk to him about something."

Yoh and Morty exchanged glances of shock. Yoh knew his grandfather was good at future seeing and visions, but it always had a habit of surprising him. Especially now when it was something only he and Morty knew about thus far. They decided to not mention it though until Yoh's grandfather arrived. Instead they went over their observations about the two who had attacked them. "And they really didn't think much of shamans. They kept calling us inferior and they even said Hao was weak," Yoh explained.

"We know what happened to people who thought that before," Anna remarked.

"Yeah but these guys honestly seemed to mean it," Morty replied anxiously.

"I wouldn't worry much about it yet. Could've been tough talk or arrogance, besides Hao is dead and even if they wanted to prove it they couldn't. One of Yoh's wishes as shaman king was to end Hao's reincarnation cycle."

Both boys had to agree with her argument, and instead settled into milder conversation. Mosuke and Amidamaru soon appeared at the sides of their respective shaman. "I never knew you could fight Mosuke," the samurai noted as the boys' conversation lulled. "When Morty first did spirit unity with you and you two fought well enough to knock out those beasts of Hao's."

"When your best friend is the greatest samurai in Japanese history you pick up a thing or two," Mosuke chuckled. "Plus you didn't think I spent all my time just making swords did you? Hammers are good for more than crafting weapons."

"Yeah Morty, you and Mosuke have gotten really good at all this," Yoh said truthfully. "It was so weird when you suddenly started showing your shaman abilities."

Morty grinned at the compliments. "I think I knew I was a shaman since when I first met you. Then when Ryo seeing spirits became a sign of him being a shaman, why not me? I think I just didn't want to find out I couldn't and so I didn't try."

"Good thing you tried then."

Morty was about to answer when his cellphone rang. He answered it to hear his father on the phone. As Morty listened his expression slowly fell and when he said good-bye and promised to something his expression was rather low. "I have to go," he said solemnly.

"Where to?" Yoh asked.

"Home."

"You better be back here tomorrow," Anna said commandingly. "Training for you and Yoh."

"We'll see," Morty said.

"You will."

"I might!" Morty replied, with authority neither Yoh nor Anna thought him capable of. Needless to say Anna was stunned into silence and Yoh simply shocked. As Morty reached the door, Anna appeared with the training weights used in her training programme. She handed these to Morty and smiled. "Okay, but please promise me you'll wear these tomorrow. You know this training is to help." Morty took them and nodded and then he was gone.

"That doesn't seem like Morty," Yoh remarked.

"He'll tell us when he wants to. Now you Yoh are going to do what you do best. You have to be up early tomorrow for training and those wounds need rest. And don't think the training gets easier because of them."

Yoh whined in protest, but Anna was unrelenting and Yoh knew it was pointless. As was usual with him he was asleep within seconds.

----

David looked up at the large house with a dark grin spreading across his face. According to a source this was the current home of Lyserg Diethel whom he'd been looking for; South Kensington, London and near Hyde Park. He smirked at the reference, he should've guessed. Now he had to enter without alerting anyone and somehow keep the boy's aunt out of the way. By an open window on the second floor he saw a lavender glow briefly and with a little closer inspection he noted it to be a small fairy.

"So I'm being watched…" he murmured and felt through his pockets for something of use. Finally he found it; an empty jam jar that he'd cleaned out. With inhuman accuracy he hurled it towards the window and it grew in size until it easily could contain the fairy. It caught her too and the hole sealed shut with more glass before returning to him. "You must be Chloe," he drawled as he looked at the fairy pounding against the glass. "Oh yes it's completely resistant to spiritual movement; in other words, no going through its walls."

Suddenly he had an idea and withdrew a slip of paper from his coat and with a quick charm it had become a very official looking letter which he promptly slipped through the mail hatch of the house. Luckily it was early morning and that wasn't so strange. David withdrew to a hiding place and watched for several hours until he saw a middle-aged woman leave the house and drive away. "Your shaman's aunt will have some non-existent business for a while," he said to Chloe.

The door was locked, naturally and he guessed with something really expensive judging by the look of the house. Still it was nothing to a magician and he placed his hand at the door knob and with a click the door easily opened. He closed it again and it clicked shut with a new form of lock that would respond only to him. "Oh Lyserg!" he called into the large, quiet house. "It's time for you to get up Lyserg, time for you to come fulfill your purpose in life. I have your little fairy friend." There was no response. He frowned and withdrew a glass bauble from his pocket. It grew to the size of a basketball and he hurled it at a wall where it shattered. David raised his hand and the shards put themselves back together and the whole thing shrank back to a small bead again. Still no response and considering the size of the house it wasn't surprising the sound had not reached its only master's ears.

David however was getting short tempered now and scaled the stairs and began searching the rooms. His plan would not be foiled by the sleepiness of a teenage boy. "I fought in the Boer War and I helped draw up Guy Fawkes' plan. I will not have this one ruined by a boy and every moment wasted is time better spent finding Hao."

--

Lyserg was still sleeping soundly when he was roughly awakened by a pain on his scalp. He moaned in pain and was suddenly quite awake as his eyes opened to see a man holding him by his green hair and holding a knife to his throat. Upon seeing Lyserg awake the man released him and smiled. "At last, you are awake."

"Who the heck are you!?" Lyserg cried furiously. He reached for his crystal pendulum only to find it gone from his bedside.

The man held up the wrist-mounted launcher knowingly. "Looking for this are you? I am David Umbren, Domestic Operations division of the Dark Laws and second rank magician."

Lyserg's emerald eyes were filled with confusion, fury and fear at this intruder who was clearly psychotic or something. Looking around he couldn't see Chloe anywhere which caused him worry as well. Meanwhile he noticed the stranger poking around his room, taking special interest in a patched shawl. "You like to play the part as much as possible I see. I'd have to say I admire that, Sherlock Holmes was indeed a great series. I have to say I most admire that Moriarty fellow. To be able to dodge detection for so long and rule with such an iron fist, reminds me of my master, though he's never been detected.

"However I did not come here to discuss books with you my young shaman. I require your assistance. Get dressed and come downstairs if you would like any questions answered, I will gladly do so."

Not really seeing any alternative, Lyserg did as bidden and was tying his shawl on when he came down the stairs. The man smirked and Lyserg could only guess at the fancy clothing he wore. Before he could respond he spotted the jar which held the purple fairy who was his guardian ghost. "Chloe!" he cried and grabbed the jar. "What did you do to her!?" he cried fiercely, turning on David.

"Prevent her from alerting you to my presence before I was ready, and I figured I'd need a little leverage."

"What do you want from me? How do you know I'm a shaman? How do you see spirits at all!?"

"I'm a magician, I know you're a shaman because you stink of spirit and because my sources tell me so, and I want you to perform a service for me, perhaps two."

"Magicians play card tricks, they're just people."

"Some of them are. The performers got the idea from somewhere though did they not?"

"Why're you explaining things to me anyways? Why not kill me?"

"Because I need you and I plan to make things as comfortable for you as possible until further notice."

"What about jarring me out of bed like that?"

"We haven't the time to waste on waiting for you to wake up."

"But you have the time to explain things?"

"Ah but I'm explaining them at 6:30 AM instead of 10 AM."

Lyserg raised the jar and hurled it against a wall. It shattered and Chloe was at his side instantly. "It's been a long time since we've done this one Chloe. Spirit form… Unity!" Chloe turned into flame-like energy which poured into Lyserg's body and he stood in a fighting stance. Chloe was more of a fighter than she looked and Lyserg still had his training pendant with him. "No way I help out anymore crazy groups. Give me my pendant back and get out!"

David yawned and, surprisingly, gave the pendant back. "If you want to fight me hurry it up please."

Lyserg grabbed the crystal pendant, strapped it on and switched to spirit control where Chloe went into the pendant. "Let's do this!" he cried and launched the pendant.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

David's hand shot up and grabbed the pendant's crystal medallion in his hand and held it fast. He squeezed a little and with a small burst of purple flame the fairy Chloe re-emerged from the pendant. Rather it seemed she was forced out and she flew several feet into the air haphazardly. The magician released the pendant and gazed at Lyserg with a dark look of victory in his face. Lyserg tried again with the same result. "Keep this up you'll run out of that precious furyoku you shaman cling to so much." As he spoke, David extracted a small knitting needle from his pocket and hurled it at Lyserg. It grew into a steel javelin and Lyserg gasped and ducked just before it would've struck his head.

Once down Lyserg launched the pendant again in spirit control only this time it curved away from David's legs and around the room. The magician's eyes followed the crystal end the whole time. He was distracted by the sudden movement of Lyserg towards a window and the pendant sliced through his arm. The magician growled and the carpet that Lyserg stood on formed into ropes and held his ankles fast. "I'm not helping you with whatever it is!"

"You will you pathetic little brat!" David growled, punching Lyserg's face so hard that the teen almost toppled in his bonds. "I'm through wasting my time. You help us, or I'll make your life so miserable you'll wish you were dead."

"Not a chance!"

"Perhaps it would help if you heard what we want of you. We want you to dowse for the shaman known as Hao Asakura."

"He's dead you nut!"

"Oh no, we have reason to believe he survived and Yoh's attack only dispelled the Spirit of Fire. That's why I've come to you to find out the truth."

"You break into my house and threaten me and expect my help? I still say no!"

"Okay, then I'll have to convince you." Lyserg took several steps back as the magician advanced on him and wanted to yell, but David grabbed him by the throat and all that came out was a gurgle. The magician hurled him into a basement room and sealed the door. "The torture shall now commence my dear Lyserg," the magician said darkly.

------

Morty sat on the large couch, even larger for him, and waited for his father to finish talking on the phone. Morty's house was, to say it simply, big. His dad owned Oyamada Electronics, a company with most of Japan under its thumb and as a result the Oyamadas were extremely rich. Unfortunately Morty's father, Mansumi was not rich in love towards his family. In fact Morty sometimes wondered if his dad would care if they all died. All Mansumi cared about was the company and it was his coldness that had put Morty down so much earlier that evening.

Morty's trip home was frequented by pangs of fear and worry at the event that had taken place. It was one of the things his dad had phoned him about and he was scared that it would indeed be true. He knew his dad wouldn't lie to family and definitely never made jokes. It would be a very poor taste joke if it was one anyways.

He lived in a very large flat near the edge of Funbari and at the very top floor of the building. In fact it _was _the top floor, or rather floors for the floor below it was also part of the same living space and there were stairs between the two for private use only. They even had a private elevator just for the Oyamada family to use. Yoh had been left speechless when he first came over and discovered that part of Morty's life.

As he rode up the elevator though Morty was not in joy or amazement, not that he'd ever really cared much for his father's superfluous real-estate arrangements, and could feel that clenching worry in his stomach. That sensation people call butterflies in their stomach. Mosuke appeared above him and looked down at his companion with concern of his own. "What troubles you Morty?"

"You don't know? You didn't sense it in my mind?"

"I'm afraid not. That only happens in rare occasions or when we're in spirit unity."

"Yeah okay well… it's mom. See she's been sick the past week, but it didn't seem too bad. It's much worse than a cold, but it wasn't fatal and the doctor said she'd probably recover and the chance that it could worsen was small."

"And that small chance has happened?"

Morty was silent as the elevator came to a halt. The building wasn't tall, about seven stories, but it was expensive to live in. Of course his dad didn't need to pay rent, he owned those top two stories. Morty stepped out of the elevator at the sixth story, the lower floor of their flat, and made his way to the stairs up to the top floor. It was all he could do to keep from running up there wildly. There was his dad staring out a window across the city, emotionless as always. "There you are Morty. Where were you?"

"Yoh's place. How could mom get so sick so quickly? She let Yoh in just a couple hours ago."

"I don't understand it myself. Mannoko got homesick at her sleepover it would seem and your mom was just about to go get her, then she just fainted near the door and I had to get her to the hospital."

"Mann doesn't know yet!?"

"I'll be going to get her in a moment. I want to have a talk with you, please sit down." Mansumi gestured to a couch behind him and Morty did as his father ordered. Oh yes it was an order, Mansumi never requested anything no matter how much it sounded as such. That was when Mansumi got his phone call and that delayed the 'talk' while Morty waited in suspense. "Mortimer," his dad said when his call was done, "I don't like these friends of yours. This Yoh Asakura and his fiancé… this is a modern world where we no longer do arranged marriages. They come from a backwards world though, and that is counter-productive in your personal, educational and economic development. That backwardness could rub off on you and we can't have that.

"I need a modern man to take my place running this company and it's time you started taking interest in your future. You are my only son and I want you to grow up into that modern man; not some backwards commoner wearing wooden sandals. You are a prince and should not mingle with the common folk." He gave a smile that was as empty as Yoh's notebooks. "Now I have to go pick up the princess."

"What about mom?" Morty asked flatly.

"We can go see her tomorrow, that's when the doctors said we could." Then he was gone and Morty was left alone with his father's speech ringing in his mind. Could he ever have his family behind him or had they forsaken him forever? There was some truth in equating him to a prince, for he was that indeed in a way. Feeling suddenly tired, Morty returned to his bedroom.

Shamans and spirits and evil wackoes were a world he shared with his friends. But this was different. His family was so ordered compared to Yoh's, whose father's face was scarred from burning, grandfather a shaman teacher, brother a crazy psychopath and fiancé a spirit medium who was far more serious than her years. Yet they all loved each other, trusted each other and respected each other, except the brother.

Morty on the other hand had a family who didn't trust him and he doubted his dad loved anyone for real. His mother was kind, but she was rational and wouldn't believe anything like ghosts, even if it came from her son or daughter. And his sister, she hardly seemed to notice his existence. Granted she was six, but still it seemed like she only acknowledged him as a weird brother. And they all lived in what could almost be fear of Mansumi. He did not intend to share any of these thoughts with Yoh or Anna.

Actually it was strange, they didn't really know much about him, but he knew so much about them. They wouldn't know his mom's illness unless they had to and they wouldn't know of his father's views on them. He didn't want them to. The less they knew of his personal life, probably the better. And with this mix of emotions and thought Morty fell into a deep sleep that was perhaps his sole peace at the moment.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Hao Asakura pushed angrily through the undergrowth of the forest. A perfect plan, it had been a perfect plan. He'd been lost in this jungle for a year now and the only civilization he found was tribesmen who proved to be of only minor help at best. Not only was he lost, he was without a spirit anymore thanks to Yoh. It was an event that repeated itself in his mind every day.

There he'd been, standing upon the Spirit of Fire as it glowed golden with the immense power of the Spirit King flowing through it, and through him. Oh how wondrous it had been! All that power to do with as he pleased. That was only the start too for once he'd finished with his enemies he'd take control of the entire being and become a god. The god of a pure, peaceful new world without destructive humans and ruled by himself with faithful, strong shaman followers. He himself would've absorbed Yoh, his brother's, essence and been complete once more.

Then Yoh and all his pathetic friends with their prayers and their belief in the boy and suddenly Hao was facing, in a sense, himself. With the belief of maybe a hundred shamans in Yoh they empowered him with their furyoku and he achieved the same power as Hao himself. The battle that followed culminated with Yoh striking the Spirit of Fire down and it was banished to the netherworld. Hao too had almost died, but he used the last remnants of the fading power to do something: flee. Something he'd never done before, he teleported across the world and landed in a lake in the middle of a jungle.

"How could I lose? Especially to a boy… a child. I have so much furyoku I could have destroyed him with ease- no I _should _have." Still, Yoh had defeated him and left him a homeless savage. Sure he was at home with nature where a shaman should be, but it was nature that wanted him dead. It was not a paradise like he imagined, it was a nightmare. Plus he found his vast strength failing by the day. He'd built up a lot of power for a long time and luckily for him it took a year to drain significantly. But drain it did as without the Spirit of Fire who'd helped him empower himself with the furyoku of others he was returning to his original strength.

Hao's foot came down on something thin and long and he looked down to see it on the tail of a snake. He jumped back in shock as the snake hissed loudly. He had no idea what kind of snake it was, but the large fangs that unfolded told him it was venomous. He backed away carefully and the snake calmed a little and slithered away. Only a couple minutes of walking however his senses and furyoku picked up on the presence of a predator. He held his walking staff at the ready and when the big cat pounced he managed to strike it away with the staff.

"I tried to help you!" he shouted angrily as the creature growled at him and ran off, deciding Hao was not worth its time. "I would've made the world perfect for animals! What do you do? Try to eat me!? Be thankful I can't use my shaman powers for the time being!" His powers had consistently failed him since the destruction of his spirit. Perhaps it was because of some kind of shock effect of losing his spirit in such a manner, or maybe a sort of revenge from the King of Spirits.

After several more minutes of walking, Hao came to a pool. Kneeling by the clear water he drank deeply and looked at his reflection. He was physically only fifteen and looked nigh identical to Yoh for he was his twin. The only big differences were Hao's hair which was about waist length, and he was in better shape than his twin and a little more muscular. Of course they also had a difference of clothing style. Hao wore a cream-coloured cloak over brown leather gauntlets, baggy black pants with three red straps on each leg and black boots with red metal straps over the toe and ankle with large studs, also on the knuckle parts of his gloves. It was an outfit designed as a sort of modernization of a portion of a samurai uniform with his own personal touches. He wore no shirt out of habit and as a method to try and be in touch with nature.

However the year in the jungle had changed him. His once handsome features were scratched, bruised and dirtied with dried blood. His eyes were a little bloodshot from lack of sleep and his hair was frizzled and dirty. He'd had to routinely cut it back to about upper back length to be more manageable. His torso bore several battle wounds and the occasional scar and his cloak was torn, showing where the things doing the wounding had gotten through.

The heavy metal on his boots and gloves he discarded as he sat there for it impeded his movement too much. His pants were more like shorts now, the straps long gone, and his gloves were almost like sports gloves having had much of them torn off. He was no longer the powerful, majestic looking figure he was at the shaman tournament. Now he was nothing but a wandering vagabond that in the human world, shaman too, he'd look like nothing more than a tramp.

"What irony," he murmured to himself, "Wandering in the wild was how it all started all those centuries ago."

"You know what else is ironic? Meeting me again!" said a gruff voice. There before him in a burst of red energy appeared a muscular humanoid creature with blood-red skin. With a great mane of grey hair, yak horns and three eyes, the third vertical and in his forehead, it was doubtless that this was an oni. There was a tattoo on his arm of a snake coiling around a skull and Hao gazed at the demon with amusement and annoyance.

"Go away demon, I don't wish to see you," Hao said.

"Well I want to see you. I'm not goin' nowhere."

"It doesn't matter. I have the power to command you and you will leave."

"I'm 'fraid not Hao Asakura. Your authority no longer holds any sway over oni. The dark one has our loyalty forever. Who would've thought I'd find you right at the start of my search? The Dark One will be most thrilled."

Hao could feel a nerve had been touched and stood angrily. He didn't know why, but the demon spoke so condescendingly to him and with such lack of respect that he felt something stir. He held the staff at the ready and dropped into a fighting stance. "That lack of respect will be your death demon."

The oni grinned darkly and a katana appeared in its hand. "I suppose his holiness won't mind if you're a little cut up as long as you're alive. Where's the shaman skills? Losing your touch cause of last summer at the tournament?"

That proved to be the final straw and Hao launched himself at the demon furiously. He was easily thrown back by the oni and he laid there on the ground and channeled his anger into a more constructive form. Without his shaman powers he'd have to defeat this creature with martial arts instead. He dropped into the right stance and the demon followed suite with a glimmer of true evil in its eye. Then, they fought.

-----

Lyserg couldn't help but to scream as the electricity coursed through him for the fifth time in the last couple hours. His simple cellar had been converted into a torture chamber and he lay almost naked, save underwear, on a metal table designed specifically for torture. The removal of clothes was apparently to leave him more prone to the torture as he had nothing at all to protect him. It was true. Feeling the various instruments on his bare skin was terrible and he couldn't begin to describe what they did or the pain they caused.

With the table being metal it conducted electricity, which was the idea and the current shock treatment was just ending. Large metal clamps were on either side of the table and David stood menacingly nearby. "Resistant for an upper-class child it would seem," he noted, "But I will break you." The magician held the end of wires connecting to the clamps and it was his magic that commanded them. He approached the boy menacingly and extracted from his coat a small circle of metal that he pressed into Lyserg's chest.

The metal turned red with heat and Lyserg gulped back his cries of pain. It burned him, but it was a burn unlike any he'd had before. It seemed to not just hurt his body, but seemed to sink into his body and soul. He gasped when he saw, through tears of pain, that Chloe was bearing the same marks as him. David grinned savagely and left the burning hot medallion sitting on Lyserg's chest. "Yes, now you see. This torture is designed to hurt much more than your body. How does it feel?"

Lyserg refused to speak, in part because the burning medallion was still sitting on him. Yet it seemed to cause little physical damage, it just caused such intense pain he couldn't stand it. His eyes were watering and tears were starting to flow unbidden down his face. The pain burned into his heart, and into his mind and very being. It hurt to just live and he could see Chloe writhing in pain. And there was no escape for her, being already dead; there was no way to escape. Though he doubted the pain would stop with death for this was too supernatural.

So focused on the intense pain he was in that Lyserg didn't notice David fastening a pair of cuff bracelets of a strange black metal around the boy's wrists. In a flash David pulled the medallion from Lyserg's chest and pocketed it, completely cold and painless once more. Lyserg himself laid breathing deeply for a time and David could see that his plan had worked. There was that dark aura in the boy's eyes that showed it.

"Master…" the boy whispered in a voice so much darker and crueler that it hardly seemed his. "…please release me. I will dowse for you and I hope the Dark One accepts my assistance as apology."

David undid the shackles and Lyserg slid off the table. Within a few minutes he was dressed again and straightened the bracelets. One of them had a crystal pendant in it and Chloe, released from her prison in a glass bottle, flew to his shoulder. Now she was indigo in colour and her black eyes had changed to red. Lyserg focused his darkened mind and the pendant glowed purple light before hovering into the air and pointing south. David gave another savage smile and with his new assistant ascended the stairs and began to follow the dowsing crystal's direction. At last they were getting somewhere.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Yoh sat silently as he rested briefly from his most recent workout. It had been almost a week now and Morty hadn't called or even turned up anywhere. He hadn't been at any of their usual hang-outs, school had started again but he wasn't there, he wouldn't answer his cellphone and when he asked at the flat he was completely ignored. The training weights on his wrists and ankles felt heavier than usual and so did his arms and legs.

The sound of a door opening alerted Yoh to Anna's exiting their house and stepping onto the veranda. In response to Yoh's hopeful look she shook her head. "No luck I'm afraid Yoh. I can't get a hold of Morty at all. It seems silly to worry after only a week though."

"He's here every day usually Anna. Even when we were in America for the second round of the Shaman Tournament he still wanted to speak to me and you still saw him. Now he's just vanished, like he doesn't care anymore."

"Don't get too depressed Yoh. Your grandfather might be able to help."

Yoh sighed sadly at this strange loss of his best friend. Amidamaru had been silent too for he'd not been able to see Mosuke. However he'd spent several hundred years apart from his friend so it didn't really bother him as much as Morty's absence.

Despite the heaviness that weighed on Yoh Anna couldn't help but see a strange sort of irony. A year earlier Morty had been in this position of being suddenly cut off from Yoh and then afterwards of waiting eagerly to hear from him. To her surprise and delight Yoh leaned his head on her shoulder sadly and she saw that he really had to be troubled to outwardly show his true feelings for her in any way at all. Only when Yoh was emotional would they show and now he was emotional.

Together the two sat for some time and Yoh's mind wandered into what it would be like to be lonely again. With the rest of his friends spread out across the world the only one he'd had regular contact with was Morty. Like a year ago when he'd been cut off from Morty his mind wandered back in time to those many days as a kid spent alone and sad. The jeers of people echoed in his ears as though they were being yelled at him right there and then. "Hey queero! Have fun with those ghosts again?" was one remark that drifted from his memory.

"That kid talks to himself all the time, bet he's schizo," was another.

"Yoh," Anna said, bringing him out of his thoughts. "You won't go back to that life."

This remark startled Yoh as she had apparently read his thoughts, or maybe she knew him better than he sometimes gave her credit for. Whatever the case he sighed sadly and removed the training weights from his wrists and ankles and wandered down the road towards the cemetery. The very same cemetery where he'd met Ryo and Amidamaru that year ago for that was also where he'd met Morty for the first time.

-----

To Yoh's surprise and delight he was drawing near the bus stop he most often used when a man he knew too well rode up beside him on a motorcycle. Clad in a white suit with purple lapels and with hair styled into an outrageous looking pompadour haircut he looked like he belonged several decades earlier. Hovering beside him unseen to most observers was the green lizard-human form of Tokegaro, a bandit from Amidamaru's time and Ryu's guardian ghost. For this was indeed Ryu and Yoh couldn't have been more thrilled to see a friend at that moment.

"Master Yoh! What a chance this is my friend to meet you here when I was just thinking of dropping by for a visit."

"Hey Ryu," Yoh said poorly hiding the depressed tone of his voice.

"What's wrong Master Yoh?"

"Can you pull over completely? You're blocking traffic," Yoh pointed to a number of vehicles behind Ryu all filled with very angry looking people honking their car horns. Embarrassed Ryu pulled his motorcycle closer to the sidewalk and turned it off. Leaning on the handlebars he listened as Yoh recounted the issue with Morty.

"That is most curious indeed Yoh," Ryu said thoughtfully when his young friend finished. "I have several ideas on what's going on with our short little friend. I would imagine Grand Master Yohmei probably would have the same ideas. I can take you to the cemetery if you like, just hop on." Yoh gladly consented and the two were off down the roads towards the spot they'd first met.

----

To Yoh's surprise the cemetery was surprisingly busy; extremely so in fact to the point of being almost crowded. Everyone present was clad in black clothes, very expensive ones, and were gathered sadly around a coffin that lay on a funeral pyre. Cars were all around the parking area and as Yoh and Ryu looked on a long black limousine pulled up to the very gates of the cemetery. A chauffer got out and opened the doors of the car to allow out a tall dark-haired man in black suit and shades and following him was none other than Morty.

His friend looked completely different though. Although this was a funeral there was just something wrong with his friend. Morty wore the same black suit and shades as his father and had his light brown hair now combed back and tamed down into a swept look. He carried himself proudly and professionally. Indeed that's how he could be described, professional. "Morty?" Both Ryu and Yoh asked. The short boy glanced at them briefly and turned away again.

"It's a funeral Master Yoh maybe we should wait until it's done to speak with him."

"Kind of an American looking funeral though; everyone's in black," Yoh noted offhandedly. Being from a more rural and traditional area he was used to more traditional funeral styles, not this Western kind. While it was taking place Yoh and Ryu sat on the grass in silence as they waited. Also troubling was neither could spot Mosuke, and yet Amidamaru said he could feel his friend's presence around Morty.

Yoh and Ryu looked up as they heard their friend's name mentioned. "I cannot express how much I'll miss my mother," Morty's voice came, loud and clear as he spoke. Yoh and Ryu exchanged shocked looks and turned back to listen. "I love her, not loved, love as she'll always be with me in my heart. I was so worried when I learned of her illness and even more so of its sudden increase in severity. There was no cure though and I'm glad the pain has ended for her. But here now I make an announcement. Oyamada Electronics will be setting up a disease research division in dedication to my mother. Nobody else shall have to meet death in this way."

With that done the pyre was lit and there in the flames and smoke Yoh couldn't help but smile to see the transparent figure of a woman with light brown hair and grey eyes that matched his friend's exactly. Then it was gone and the funeral dispersed. Yoh and Ryu waited for the crowd to clear before approaching their friend who stood alone and gazing at the flames with such focus that he might've been trying to put them out with his gaze, or feed them. "Uhm, hi Morty," Yoh said nervously. There was something about his friend's new professional look and demeanor that made him feel more like he was talking to the school principal and not his friend.

"What is it Yoh?" Morty asked morosely.

"Well I haven't seen you around. You just kind of vanished and you weren't at school either and I was getting worried. Why'd you stop visiting us?"

Morty was silent as he rose to his feet and turned to look out at the city. "I've been busy Yoh. Mom was dying for one thing, and my dad's been teaching me new things."

"What kind of new things?"

Morty didn't respond. Instead he continued to stare at the city, all the way out to the skyscrapers in the distance. "What do you know about me Yoh?"

"What do you mean?"

"What about my life do you know?"

Yoh opened his mouth to speak but found that he had nothing to say for once. Now he thought about it he knew nothing about Morty at all really. He knew where he lived of course and everything he should know. But Morty knew all about Yoh's family while Yoh knew nothing about Morty's. He wasn't even sure if he'd ever asked what his friend's last name was. It never really seemed to matter, but maybe it seemed so to his friend.

"My last name is Oyamada. Give me that headset of yours."

Yoh handed the orange headphones to his friend and Morty pointed to the production information. Yoh's eyes widened when he read the words. "Oyamada Electronics! You mean you-"

"My dad owns that company. Before him it was my grandfather, probably when these things were made. You never wondered how I was so easily able to buy the groceries Anna wanted me to get her?"

"I thought she gave you money or something."

Morty chuckled. "I could give her money to buy out the whole store. Most of Tokyo is owned by my dad, and more of it by the week. Oyamada Real-Estate, Oyamada Transit, Oyamada Auto, that's just the beginning. Some people joke that he'll end up owning parliament and the imperial palace. He says himself that by the time I'm running the company I could change the prime minister or remove the emperor whenever I want."

"Running it?"

"I'm fifteen, easily old enough to be preparing to take over. I'm heir to the company after all and I have to stop mingling with backwards people like you and move forwards. That city out there represents progress Yoh. Moving forwards with the times, not wearing wooden sandals and decade old headsets." To punctuate his point he threw Yoh's headset to the ground and turned away from his friends.

"You can't mean that Morty."

"I can and I do. You're a fool and a lay about Yoh, and that's not good for my development as a future CEO. And your insane friend over there with his outdated hairstyle and stupid clothes can join you in the sewers where the waste goes."

Needless to say this remark shocked Ryu who stood dumb for a moment. "What's wrong with you Morty!? I work hard on my look, it hardly outdated."

"Go look in a history book and look at the 1970's Ryu, you'll see I'm right. Oh and nobody lives on the road anymore, find a house and settle down already. I can give you a number for a great Oyamada Real-Estate agent if you want."

"Why are you like this Morty?" Yoh asked anxiously. He could hardly believe what his friend was saying. "We're best friends! You know that."

"We all make mistakes Yoh." Morty turned and walked away without looking back. His friends chased after him, but he merely snapped his fingers and several big men in dark outfits appeared as if from nowhere and grabbed hold of them both. "Security, remove these savages from my sight and make sure they don't come near me again."

"Yes sir," said the bodyguard holding Yoh. "Come on kid let's get you back to the shack you came from."

More insults were thrown at them, but Yoh wasn't listening. All he could see and hear was the cruel words of his once best friend who all of a sudden hated him for no apparent reason. His eyes were watering and he watched on with a despairing face as Morty got in the limo and was driven away. It was too painful to bear and he felt as if a weight he once thought gone forever crashed back down on him.


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Why would Morty turn on us like that?" Anna wondered aloud for perhaps the hundredth time. Ryu was staying with them now, partly because he could see how hard Morty's sudden negative behaviour hit Yoh and was there to be a friend, and partly because Anna insisted he stay to cook. "And come in Mikihisa if you want to know what we're talking about."

A door opened and in from the evening walked a somewhat tall man with long brown hair and wearing a tan tunic and pants with a darker tan vest over top. Most notable though was he wore a brass bird mask over his face. Yoh looked up at him from his place on the floor and attempted a smile. "Hi dad," he muttered.

"I heard your story Yoh and I'm both sorry and as confused as you all. The death of a family member wouldn't have that kind of effect on Morty I'm sure of it. From what you were saying it sounds as though he's a completely different person."

"He also needs to give me back my training weights," Anna added with annoyance. "With a whole company at his hands he doesn't need them anymore."

"Whatever Morty's reasons are for changing like this, have more pressing matters to attend to. I know it hurts Yoh, to lose your best friend like this, but you'll have to focus on the tasks at hand."

Yoh sighed sadly and nodded. He turned his gaze up to his dad and opened his mouth to speak several times before actually saying something. "Where's grandpa gone?"

"Merely meditating Yoh. You'll find Mikihisa is not the only other family member to have come here. Keiko and Kino will be here within the hour," said the man in question. Yohmei was a short old man and bald with a wide partial ring of hair around the back of his head and just above his ears. He too wore traditional Japanese garb, only robes instead.

"What's the occasion?" Yoh asked, a little of his usual cheer returning.

"The world is threatened. The future holds a great darkness, and somehow I feel it's related to that night so many years ago."

"What night?"

Yohmei went silent and turned away. "If you like I will explain more once we're all together. Until then I'll tell you the year. 1945 is the year I refer to."

Yoh knew better than to bother his grandfather when he was upset or reminiscent, so he didn't bother pressing the issue. Anna was being quiet as always and taking in what everyone was saying. Within moments of Yohmei's mentioning of the year Yoh could've sworn he saw a look of disbelief flutter across Anna's face. When he looked at Ryu, who'd remained silent out of courtesy, he thought he saw a similar look pass across his face as well.

"I'll let you two teach my son a little history which he would know already if he actually paid attention in class," Mikihisa said with a tone that said he was purposely teasing Yoh on his slacker habits. With his fatherly side given a little fresh air in that manner, Mikihisa left the room as well and the friends were left to themselves again.

"What's so special about 1945?" Yoh asked.

"Your dad's right, you really should be paying attention in school. You must be the only person in Japan who doesn't know about that," Anna said angrily.

"1945 Yoh was the last year of World War II when the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki."

"Ohhhh, that! You think grandpa was in one of those cities at the time? Wouldn't he be dead?"

"You've been battered by a fire spirit and you're still alive. But yes that is what I think and Ryu agrees with me."

"I do Miss Anna. It's funny Master Yohmei should mention the darkness and all that because there's been some weird things happening lately."

"What kind of things?" Yoh asked.

"Well I've been up and down Japan in the last year, with the occasional visits to you guys of course. I've been up in Hokkaido and all the way down to Kagoshima, and even went out into Okinawa. Huge flocks of birds flying almost confused, moss growing on the south sides of trees and fish and whales washing up in hundreds. Out on the ocean it seemed like they were trying to leap away from the water."

"So animals acting weird?"

"In short, yes. And weather going crazy. Snow with lightning and fog and rain turning to sleet in seconds."

"Are you sure?" Anna asked, her tone saying any doubts she had.

"As I have said before I am a man of the road. When you are outdoors a lot you learn to notice the various intricate details of nature's workings. Oh and being a shaman helps too."

"I told Yoh we should move more into the countryside, but he insists on being close to the city," Anna remarked. "Otherwise he won't connect with nature."

"It will come with time Anna," Mikihisa said as he returned to the room. "Do not think yourselves fully grown, neither spiritually, mentally or physically. Now that's enough of this discussion for now. Ryu, I would like for Yoh's family to have something to eat when they arrive. Could you please work some of your 'magic in the kitchen' as I've heard it referred to."

"Not a problem Master Mikihisa, it is my pleasure as always."

"You can help him Yoh."

"What!? I dunno, I'm still feeling depressed," Yoh said though despite the sad tone he added to his voice there was also a mischievous one.

"Then doing some work will get your mind off the subject. And Anna can do some chores herself for a change," Mikihisa added sternly.

Anna opened her mouth, but her manners took back over and she bowed politely. She wouldn't argue with her future in-law, and besides it _was_ technically her house.

-----

Several hours later once the rest of Yoh's family had arrived and eaten they were sat in front of the television. Ryu had been allowed to stay which he was greatly appreciative of. Yoh looked around at the faces of his family, and they rested for a long while on Keiko, his mother. It had been rather a long time since he'd seen her and he couldn't help noticing how she seemed old, or perhaps stressed. Her kind face was creased with lines that seemed to be of worry and there was a look in her eyes that seemed off. Still her brown hair and kind face seemed as beautiful as ever and Yoh and Hao were more similar to her facially rather than their father. Perhaps it was because she was the Asakura and Mikihisa had actually changed his surname.

Kino, Yoh's grandmother and Keiko's mother, was like her husband Yohmei in height. She was also blind and wore tinted glasses with circular frames and her hair in a bun. Her clothes were also robes like Yohmei's and she had a cane which currently lay across her lap as she sat. Yoh couldn't help but feel glad to have his whole family gathered around him. Being all shamans they all were often quite busy and didn't see much of each other. He only wished this occasion was a happier one and he also wished that his best friend could be there to see it.

Yohmei stood up and moved in front of the TV. "A couple days ago I received a message in my sleep from a figure named Nazo. Kino received the same message and so did our dear daughter," at this he gestured offhandedly to Keiko, "and we confirmed it to be a vision of sorts. He told us to gather in the house of Yoh Asakura and Anna Kyoyama on this night and to be at the television at 9:00 PM. Within a few moments he will contact us and we will be able to speak with him."

Yohmei turned to look at the screen and the rest of the people in the house waited. It seemed silly, but Yohmei wouldn't lie or joke about something like this. The clock ticked away and it rang nine o'clock. Yoh sighed in disappointment when the screen suddenly flashed on. There standing in the centre was a figure obscured by a hood and shadow though he appeared to have long hair; or Yoh assumed it was a he. The background was dark except for a faint glow that might have been moonlight. "Greetings Asakura family, I am Nazo," the figure said in a rough, grating voice. "Who is the man with the strange hair?"

"I'm Ryu Mr. Nazo sir, the Asakura's said I could stay for this."

"And you may. I'm using an advanced electronics system to send this and mixed with a little furyoku to help it stay hidden."

"Hidden?" Anna asked skeptically.

"Only Oyamada Electronics has the equipment I require to send this and it is rather top secret. It is why I have not got long. If there are questions after I conclude than you may ask if there is time.

"The reason I called you together is the Asakura family is known as defenders of the world, particularly against the endeavours of Hao Asakura. As such I felt it natural that your family be the ones to deal with a darkness rising in the world that dwarfs Hao's.

"As Yoh may have told you, a couple weeks ago he encountered two beings, one calling himself a magician and the other a sorcerer. They are exactly as they say. They are followers of ways thought lost with the destruction of Mu millennia ago. During those times they worked alongside shamans and samurai as defenders of the planet, but now they work for an insidious purpose not yet known to me. They command arcane energies which draw directly upon the nether, rather than furyoku and as such they can outlast any shaman in a fight magically. Magicians can change the nature and appearance of objects at their will and can unleash simple energy attacks if need be. Sorcerers wield elemental magic and I tell you to be wary of them more than magicians. Together they have formed a group called the Dark Laws.

"Yet they are not the threat you face most currently. This company, Oyamada Electronics, has created shaman hunters. Secret to the public of course, but they exist alright. They have weapons which can affect spirit control and technology that allows them to see spirits and judge which people are shamans."

"Will Morty be okay?" Yoh asked quickly.

"The CEO's son? He's a shaman?"

"Yes, and he's my best friend… or he was."

"I do not know, but do not worry about him. You must all be wary of these shaman hunters. Now I will give you the missions that you must carry out if we are to stop both the Dark Factors and Shaman Hunters. Yoh and Ryu, you are to head north to find Horohoro, or Trey as I believe he calls himself. Yohmei and Kino will stay with Anna and perform a separate task of which I will inform them later. Mikihisa, you will need to meet with two members of the Shaman Council who I have called out here. I would suggest you try the airport in a couple days. Finally I would like Keiko to find the girl Tamara and keep her company until I call upon them."

"What makes you think you can give us missions?" Ryu asked indignantly.

"Because if you listen to me and follow them than the world can be saved. If you ignore me and refuse to co-operate then the world will be destroyed. Besides I'm sure young Trey won't be able to resist more heroics and I'm sure will be glad to see you two again. Any questions?"

"How do we beat magicians?" Yoh asked. "It was impossible to strike through their clothes for some reason."

"I do not know yet. Do as Mikihisa once told you and use your furyoku in different ways."

"How do you know so much about us?" Ryu asked.

"I have my ways. I must go now. I will transmit next to modified oracle bells which will be delivered to you by tomorrow morning." With that the screen shut off and turned to some normal television show, news or a talk show of some kind which was swiftly turned off.

"Now for your question from earlier Yoh. I was indeed in Hiroshima at the end of the war and amongst all the death and destruction I felt something that day. It felt like… like the world had been rent apart for just a moment. It felt like the Great Spirit himself trembled that day." Yohmei explained this quickly as though he'd rather not dwell long on the memories of that day.

"So tomorrow Yoh and I must leave for the north," Ryu mused. "It will be good to see Trey again, if only little Morty would join us."

Yoh sighed as the main point of that day came about to close it and everyone went off to do their own beds. For a longtime however Yoh remained awake and staring at the ceiling. At least he'd be back with his friends soon, but one friend is not the same as another. In the back of his mind he wondered if Morty might be up to something, but he had no idea what and so he settled back into his sadness and fell asleep when his mind had become too weary from emotional exhaustion that it couldn't keep awake.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Hao fought well against the oni. The demon was, after all, driven by rage and bloodlust and its initial charge had been easily dodged. Hao too was angry, but he pushed that anger down and let himself be calm. It was so long since he'd last used martial arts, and indeed the last time he'd bothered to fight himself was briefly with his brother a year before. This time though he was without the aid of a spirit and without any assistance. Still he remembered a couple forms of martial arts he'd learned in his first life that he hoped might be useful in this fight.

The demon slashed forwards with his katana, and Hao blocked and parried the blow in proper fashion towards the form he was using. Like many of the abilities, objects and skills he used and owned the martial arts forms he used now were ones not taught anymore and were forgotten to the world. Though he usually relied on his furyoku to help him he knew how to perform them without that assistance.

His fight with the oni went back and forth for some time and he began to notice he was being pushed back. Slowly, but surely he was moving further from the water and back through the jungle. He gazed briefly at his opponent's face and there was a knowing look on it. The oni was purposefully pushing him away from the water. What for, Hao thought as the fight continued through the forests. He couldn't hear the thoughts of this oni and the jungle forced him to alter his fighting style appropriately.

The oni's body bore some bruises and cuts from where Hao had struck him, but he'd not managed much besides briefly knocking the creature down. But he couldn't possibly kill a demon with a stick and hitting it around. At some point he'd have to start using some magic despite its draining away, or he could search for a better weapon. Neither option seemed like it would be a very good idea considering his current situation. He was in the middle of the jungle and his furyoku was draining away by the day. He still had plenty left but he needed to reserve it for when it was absolutely necessary. The question for him was whether or not a fight with a low level oni was a necessary reason or not.

As these thoughts went through his mind the oni continued to push him further back through the jungle. As the demon drew back for a strike his katana changed into a cudgel and his next strike shattered Hao's staff. Rage bubbled up inside him again and even more so when his only option was to run or waste precious furyoku. He decided to run which he'd not done for centuries.

As he dodged through the foliage he could hear the demon roar with laughter and crash through the trees and branches. What was it that this creature was pushing him towards? Then he noticed the jungle around him looked different. The leaves of the understory plants became brown and wilted, the tree trunks were dry and grey and the soil below his feet was more like brown dust. Worst of all it was silent. No sound of bugs, or tweet of birds, or rustle of bushes or the far off roars of some large cat. It was dead and as he moved further into the patch of dead jungle he felt an immense weakness come over him. His whole body felt limp and weak to the point he stumbled for a moment and almost collapsed.

The oni on the other hand appeared to be growing stronger as he approached. Hao could hear him crashing through foliage and leaving a trail of destruction. He'd sped up and when Hao was able to see him he could see he looked brighter red. The shaman struggled to run further but had only taken two steps when he saw a cliff in front of him. He whirled around to face the oni as he crashed into the clearing where Hao now stood and laughed. "Feel that kid? Feel it? That's the raw power of the netherworld, a wound in reality and it seeps energy from my world as well as from that of the dead. As you can see, it leaves a wonderful mark on the world."

Hao panted and looked around the clearing. He'd heard of such rifts, but only as theoretical at least and miniscule at most. The oni, seeing his searching gaze, pointed to a spot just behind the shaman. Hao whirled around and saw something strange. Like a weird anomaly in the air that reminded him of a mirage in the desert, only vertical and smaller. There was this spot where then air sort of folded in on itself and if he looked at it carefully he could see a shadow sitting in the middle. And being a shaman, a spiritual being who was a link between the two worlds, this wound in reality was so utterly repulsive he actually felt disgust and fear.

"It's hideous…" he muttered.

"You think I like looking at your ugly mug?" the oni growled, "Or this stinking world for that matter? You humans how you cling to precious life and you who believe yourself so superior to humans because you know some magic tricks. Well you're a stupid human like the rest in this world that loves things that cling to life so strongly. With His guidance we oni will finally conquer all!" He charged forwards and with a cudgel blow sent hao flying into the cliff.

"You dare compare me to these defiling insects!?" Hao cried as he stumbled to his feet. "Humans corrupt and destroy like demons! I've been trying to help nature be rid of filthy humans." He was blasted off his feet again by a stream of flame from the demon's free hand.

As the flames gushed over him and burnt him his thoughts could hardly focus. The voices and sounds had started again. Growls and clicks and chirps of animals at least a kilometer or two away. It got worse with each rebirth, hearing the thoughts of others in his own head. And as he didn't understand the language of animals it only made the cacophony inside his head worse. Sometimes he wanted to cry and sometimes he wanted to scream, but right now he gave a battle roar and a great wave of water gushed forth from his body and as he landed on the ground he threw his arms forwards and it washed over the demon who was himself thrown back with a roar.

Hao stumbled and fell to his knees, feeling drained. "I shouldn't have done that," he mumbled as the cacophony rose in his head again. Then another outside which signaled the demon's return. Besides being wet and furious the water didn't seem to have done much. "Your strength fades by the minute human. You cannot survive here for long." And Hao knew the demon was correct, but his focus was slipping again as the sounds echoed inside his mind.

Before he could react the demon was beating him with the cudgel. Whenever he was sent flying even a couple feet, the demon would stretch its arms and pull Hao back into pummeling range. The brutal pain on the outside of his body and the echoing pain in his mind was becoming too much to bear. Without trying, waves of elemental energy began to flow from his body and wash over the oni. The demon stumbled back as these pounded into him and he watched as the shuddering, crying bundle in front of him issued forth wave after wave of energy. The demon was burned by fire, blasted by water, pounded by rocks and earth, and hurled around by wind.

"What're you doin!?" the demon cried furiously as the energy lulled.

"Too much, too much, too much," Hao muttered blankly. The demon kicked him over onto his back and saw Hao's eyes were blank and staring. In fact he didn't even seem to see him. "So his mind has snapped at last. Well then idiot ocha-whatever…" he raised his cudgel and it became an axe. Down he brought it in a deadly arc that would extinguish the shaman's life forever. Then the axe stopped and dropped from the oni's grasp as a shaft of light pierced him through the heart. The oni stumbled to his feet for a moment but within that moment his body began to liquefy and melt.

From a point on the cliff leapt an old Tibetan man in simple white tunic and monk robes; a rather odd colour for a monk, but for an old man who just banished an oni that hardly seemed relevant. He watched as the oni's melting body was briefly engulfed in flames before vanishing from the world. Then he turned his attention to the boy mumbling on the ground. "The great Hao Asakura, once so great and kind and now reduced to insanity by a simple accident," he mused. The man knelt and picked the shaman up like he was a small child and bracing himself he was engulfed in light and vanished.


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

When Hao awoke the first he realized is he didn't remember falling asleep. The last thing he remembered was the demon sneering at him while his head filled with noise. That was the next thing he noted, it was quiet. Not the quiet before the storm, but the peace after it. Quiet inside his mind for the first time in centuries while outside the birds chirped. Yet he couldn't hear any thoughts in his mind at all, save his own, and that was comforting.

Then his thoughts moved to where he was and also to the fact he was now wearing a clean white linen tunic and pants. His old clothes were nowhere in sight and the room he was in was small and wooden. He lay on a soft mattress with sheets of linen. The mattress seemed like a mix of synthetic and natural fibers, something he could feel to an extent as a shaman. As he looked around the room he noticed much of the furnishing was made in the same way, a mix of manmade and natural materials. There were also plenty of objects that were made completely of natural materials.

Rising from bed Hao strolled through the doorway of the small bedroom into a larger room of which the small bedroom he came from was in the corner. There was little decoration here, but there were several shelves filled with books. There were no doors anywhere in the house and in fact the interior seemed similar to a pagoda or monastery, though on a considerably smaller scale. It was largely made of wood, even the pillars which he could see supporting the roof, but it was also all painted. Or it seemed like it except as he moved around the room and looked more closely at everything he noticed that the paint job was perfect. There were no brush strokes, no flaking, not even bubbles from the paint. The quality seemed almost better than the Emperor's palace in the Forbidden City, when it was functional that was.

As he toured the small house, for he assumed it was a house judging by the comfy appearance, he relished in his silent mind. His joy was indescribably great and he felt like cheering like he was five. On the other hand he wondered how it was possible that his curse had been lifted and that linked back to the big question; how did he get there.

Deciding to look outside, Hao left the building and walked out into a very serene looking valley. It wasn't particularly large, but it was large enough for him to not be able to see the bulk of it except a little of the far right and left edges. He currently stood in a garden overlooking a small river. It was very tranquil and the peace he felt when he woke up only deepened as he gazed around. It was like the perfect world he dreamed of in his mind for so many centuries. The fields around him were a rich emerald green and bloomed with flowers of all kinds. The river flowed along crystal clear and with a sound that made one think of summer days and he suddenly craved a swim. Even the weather was pleasant. And there, kneeling amongst the flowers and grass was an old man in monk robes and tending to the plants carefully.

"Ah you're awake child," he said, looking up at Hao kindly.

"Did you bring me here?"

"Yes indeed. Saved from that vicious demon and brought you here, and before you asked I put mental blocks in your mind to keep you from hearing thoughts."

Hao's mind teemed with questions and the freedom and peace he had in his mind made it so much easier to organize his thoughts. "How could you know about that?"

"I have ways."

"What ways?"

"My ways," the old man said with a smile.

"Who are you?" Hao asked instead, not getting anywhere with the previous questions.

"Yeshe is my name and I'm both friend and foe to you."

"How are you foe? You saved me from a demon and done something which I've wished for more often than anything else."

"I do not consider myself your enemy, but you currently will do as I am not a shaman."

Ordinarily Hao might have done several things at the mention of such a thing, which considering the absence of a guardian spirit he probably should've noticed sooner. All the actions he'd normally take would be aggressive including strangling or having the Spirit of Fire destroy said human. However he felt indebted to this man and the Spirit of Fire was gone. "You can't be a human. Humans aren't capable of kindness and I don't think anyone's ever been this kind to me."

Yeshe rose to his feet and gazed sadly at the boy. "You have strayed far from your true self young Hao Asakura."

"How do you know my name? If you know so much of me than you know I am no child. I am over a thousand years old and your senior by far."

"You discovered a method of returning to life at will. Do not presume you are the only being to ever discover that method or make use of it. Do not also presume it is the only method of extreme longevity for others have found different ways for both far nobler and far more sinister purposes."

The words of this man seemed to resonate age and wisdom and Hao in spite of himself felt an immense respect well up within him, and maybe the beginnings of trust. He bowed to the man as he would to a sensei and let himself be led on a walk around the valley. Its beauty was greater than he'd initially seen with a forest of trees with leaves like emeralds beside a lake of the same clear, pure water that flowed in the river. There was another forest of bamboo across the river where Hao could see a giant panda chewing away at some of the plant. "So I'm in Tibet?" he commented off-handedly.

"Yes I guess that's what it would be called, though I assure you no government knows of this place. It's a secret I put together as a place of contemplation and peace. Animals of all kinds wander in and some stay. The panda does indeed stay here and we take care of each other just fine I think."

"It is very peaceful," Hao admitted.

"Especially for one such as you I would imagine. I guess some explanation would be in order by now." They were amidst the forest by now and Yeshe satin a clearing they had reached. Hao followed suit and lay down on his back as he had often done. It was in this position that Silva first discovered him in this incarnation. "So you defeated the oni and brought me here and you even blocked the reishi which not even I could do. Who are you and why do these things?"

"I am Yeshe as I already told you and I am a monk of Ishalaan, an ancient religion. It is through Ishalaa that I gained my long life, several thousand years to be exact. In that span I've learned enough to defeat an oni, though I got a lucky shot on the one attacking you.

"When I found you the oni was almost ready to kill you and you had succumbed to madness, a madness which has been following you your whole life and consuming you bit by bit. I placed the barriers in your mind to block it for a time, but consider them training wheels for that is one of the reasons you are here. This is a place of healing child and you have a lot of healing to do."

Hao listened closely as Yeshe explained himself. The explanation had still not held many answers, but he guessed more would come in time. "How do you know so much of me?"

"I was aware of your existence since your birth for the presence of such a prodigy in divine and arcane techniques does not grace this world often. Your existence also proved to be one of those occurrences that stirs both the spirit world and the mortal world. Your potential for greatness was undeniable, but the most troubling issue was if that greatness would be noble or sinister. And unlike most who have met you since your methods became sinister, I do understand what you've been through."

"My methods may be extreme, but they may be necessary. Besides you don't know what it's like to have everyone screaming in your head day and night," Hao snapped.

"Oh yes I do. I too possess the reishi, only I have long since learned to control it. I can help you young Hao Asakura. You have become lost, I can feel it. I can feel you wishing to find yourself and I can feel your heart aching so much. And there's a chance, there's an extremely lucky chance, that I could eventually restore your true guardian ghost."

Completely speechless at this explanation, Hao opened and closed his mouth several times. The man spoke the truth for in three lifetimes Hao had failed in his goal in each and he had begun to wonder what he was doing wrong. Perhaps I _have_ stumbled off my path, he'd thought more than once. Then when he'd get angry at the thought and begin ranting as he had before the demon arrived. If he could really gain complete control of the reishi he would be free of it forever. But what struck him most was the possibility of his guardian ghost being restored. "Ohachiyo?" he muttered. "We could restore Ohachiyo?"

"It's a slim chance, but it could happen."

"If you could really do so much for me than yes I will stay and follow your guidance."

Yeshe smiled and the two began their walk back to his home. There was so much to do and he could tell his new pupil's hopes would get higher than they should considering the situation. Still, Hao had taken the first step out of the dark pit he'd fallen in and Yeshe hoped that in time he could help him climb the rest of the way.


End file.
